"This week ITF inspectors have been boarding container ships carrying Walmart goods "to pass on warnings that the company may be experiencing industrial action in the run up to Christmas". The US retailer is said to be the single largest shipper in the world, controlling around 600,000teu per year."

Long delays at Airports across the US
"It's the busiest travel day of the year not just on the road, but in the air. Airports across the country are experiencing delays leaving some passengers spending the holiday in the terminal."

Harmony Gold says violent clashes at South Africa mine
"Harmony Gold said violent clashes erupted between rival unions at its Kusasalethu mine in South Africa on Thursday, raising concerns labor unrest was flaring again in Africa's largest economy days after a wave of wildcat strikes ended."

"Higher use of generators has pushed up the demand for diesel too. An official of an oil marketing company here told The Hindu that there is 30 per cent to 40 per cent increase during the last six months in the company's diesel despatch from its terminal here as against the average monthly increase of 10 per cent in off-take earlier, which was mainly for the automobile sector."

France faces twin tasks of ageing nuclear fleet, staff
"An ageing fleet of nuclear power plants and retirement of half of EDF's nuclear staff in the next 5 years are the main challenges the French nuclear safety watchdog is facing and will have to deal with, its new head said on Thursday."

Energy decline rears its ugly head here, too. The nuclear power system depends on fossil fuels to build and service nuke plants, and to educate and train its workers. Everything is falling apart. -- RF

But because wells in the Bakken shale formation peak and decline so quickly, one has to wonder if building pipelines is truly economical. In that respect, the following article is quite sobering. -- RF

Winter blackout: Govt proposes 350MW power cut for Karachi
"The government has mapped out a plan to cut power to the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) for three months beginning December, which means that Karachi is going to face eight-hour power outages daily during the winter season."

## China ##China Advances Launch of Crude-Oil Futures
"After years of slow progress on its planned launch of a crude-oil futures contract to give it greater influence in global oil pricing, China is now taking some bold strides to make it happen."